COVID-19
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Airbnb expands cancellation policy to cover stays affected by coronavirus
More than a few travel plans have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak, and Airbnb is acknowledging that with a broader cancellation policy. The service is expanding its worldwide Extenuating Circumstances coverage to allow no-penalty cancellations for stays and Experiences made on or before March 14th, with check-in dates between March 14th and April 14th. This won't cover mainland China, where normal business is expected to resume on April 1st.
Google says nationwide coronavirus website is in development (updated)
President Trump misspoke when he said Google was developing a national screening and test result site for potential coronavirus patients (that's just Verily's Bay Area pilot for now), but there was apparently a degree of truth involved. In a series of clarifying tweets, Google said it was teaming with the US government on a "nationwide website" that would provide info about COVID-19 symptoms, risks and testing info. The company characterized this as separate from the Verily project and other coronavirus information efforts.
After Math: How COVID-19 is already clobbering 2020
Welp, we had a good run, America. While every other developed nation on the planet scrambles to defend itself against the deadly spread of COVID-19, the US had to be dragged into fielding a response. This year everything is cancelled. Schools have been shuttered, universities have migrated to online classes, and group gatherings larger than a couple hundred people are being postponed. Major league sports might be back sometime next year, workers are being asked to work from home and engage in social distancing to help slow the coronavirus' spread. Oh, you think it's a hoax? Then how do you explain all of this week's headlines about the coronavirus?
Iran's coronavirus 'diagnosis' app looks more like a surveillance tool
Iran is known to have one of the more serious coronavirus infection rates at the moment, but the country's government appears to be exploiting that for the sake of political control. Vice has learned that a government-endorsed app, AC19, poses as a tool to help diagnose the presence of the virus (a bogus claim by itself) but also asks for real-time location data -- clearly not necessary for telling someone whether or not they should go to the hospital. Moreover, the location permission request pop-up is in English -- and about 40 percent of Android users in Iran have phones with an OS old enough that they won't get that pop-up at all.
Apple sets clearer rules for coronavirus-related apps
Apple has been cracking down on coronavirus-related apps for days, but now it's clarifying just what it will accept on the App Store. The tech giant has posted an update clarifying its rules for COVID-19 app submissions, and they're unsurprisingly strict. The developers presenting apps should be "recognized entities" like government bodies, institutions (educational and medical), health-focused non-governmental organizations and companies "deeply-credentialed" in health. Apple will outright reject any entertainment apps themed around COVID-19.
All Apple Stores outside of Greater China are closing until March 27th
Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out a statement in the early hours of Saturday morning detailing Apple's worldwide response to COVID-19. Among the steps taken is news that the company will close its retail stores worldwide until March 27th. The only exception is Greater China, which includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, where the company yesterday reopened stores that had closed on February 2nd. Stores already closed in Italy and Spain due to the pandemic will remain closed. On Friday morning Apple announced its spring WWDC developer event would go online-only, and Cook said that "In all of our offices, we are moving to flexible work arrangements worldwide outside of Greater China." For the affected workers, "All of our hourly workers will continue to receive pay in alignment with business as usual operations. We have expanded our leave policies to accommodate personal or family health circumstances created by COVID-19 — including recovering from an illness, caring for a sick loved one, mandatory quarantining, or childcare challenges due to school closures."
'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' is available on digital a few days early
It looks like Frozen 2 isn't the only Disney property getting an early launch due to the current conditions of everything. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is now available on most digital stores, including Vudu, iTunes and Google Play. (Update: Amazon too!) Right now, several days before its March 17th launch date for $20 in 1080p or $25 in 4K UHD with Dolby Vision HDR where available. It's not available to rent, but you can buy it in up to 4K resolution, or opt for the $100 Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga 9-Movie Collection. Is it worth it? Despite a 51 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics it did manage an 86 percent audience score, so there's a chance you'll be thoroughly entertained with how this third trilogy comes to an end. If not, at least you're at home and you can easily flip over to something else, or just update some of your lists on Vudu.
Disney+ will start streaming 'Frozen 2' on Sunday, three months early
In a move that feels in parts altruistic and business savvy, Disney has bumped up the Disney+ streaming release date for Frozen 2 to this weekend. Many families are unexpectedly home and certainly feeling the stress of everything going on due to coronavirus, and could probably use a break to watch the much-loved movie. It's also a high-profile exclusive for Disney's streaming service, which has wanted for a hit of its own ever since The Mandalorian season one came to an end.
Comcast suspends data caps, makes Xfinity WiFi free for 60 days
Yesterday Comcast and AT&T were among ISPs announced some relaxed policies to help people suddenly stuck at home due to countermeasures taken in the fight against COVID-19. Today, along with an announcement that wireless carriers are suspending cancellations and expanding access, Comcast, the largest ISP in the US, followed up with a slew of new policies that will be in effect for the next 60 days to help people stay connected. For the time being, it's suspending the data plan that capped bandwidth usage at 1TB per month, and it's opening access to Xfinity WiFi for free to everyone. The Internet Essentials program for low-income families that costs $9.95 per month will be free to new subscribers for the first two months, and it has also committed to no disconnects or late fees.
US wireless carriers pledge to suspend cancellations amid outbreak
One day after Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel called on the FCC to take aggressive action in response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the federal agency has announced the Keep Americans Connected Pledge. For the next 60 days, the agreement calls on telecom companies to maintain service and waive late fees for any residential and small business customers who can't pay their bills due to the pandemic. It also calls on those companies to open their WiFi hotspots.
Grubhub waives fees for independent restaurants impacted by COVID-19
As people around the country begin "social distancing" to limit the spread of COVID-19, restaurants are already seeing a downturn in business. In partnership with mayors from Boston, Chicago, New York City and San Francisco, Grubhub is stepping up to help its small restaurant clients.
UK government enlists influencers to battle coronavirus misinformation
You've probably seen posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter that say you can self-test for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, by holding your breath for 10 seconds. According to medical experts the Associated Press interviewed, those posts aren't accurate. And it's precisely that type of misinformation the UK government hopes to combat by turning to some of the same people who help spread them: social media influencers.
Formula E season suspended due to coronavirus fears
FIA, the organizing body behind motor sport and Formula E have decided to suspend this year's racing season for up to two months. In response to concerns about managing the spread of COVID-19, the organizations have said that pausing the season was the "most responsible course of action." The direct result of this is the cancellation of planned races in Paris, Seoul, while the Jakarta E-Prix was cancelled two days prior.
Niantic cancels ‘Pokémon Go’ and ‘Wizards Unite’ community days
Niantic is postponing the Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite community days for March due to concerns around COVID-19. In a statement, the company said that the safety of its players is its "top priority," and that it will adjust its games to better suit current public health advice. Consequently, as well as cancelling the community days, Niantic is making it easier to play Pokémon Go at home.
All Call of Duty League matches for 2020 will be online-only events
Activision Blizzard has changed the way the Call of Duty League works in face of the COVID-19 outbreak. After cancelling all Overwatch League homestead matches, the company has announced that it's also turning all CoD League live matches planned for 2020 into online-only events. The developer says it came to the decision after "careful review and working in close collaboration with [its] teams" and that it's "continuing to closely monitor" the COVID-19 situation.
AT&T and Comcast improve internet access in response to COVID-19
With so many people in the US working and learning from home, as offices and schools close in response to the coronavirus pandemic, internet service providers (ISPs) are beginning to react. Comcast is increasing internet speeds for low-income users, and AT&T told Motherboard that it is suspending all broadband usage caps until further notice.
NCAA cancels March Madness over coronavirus pandemic
The NCAA will not crown a basketball champion this year. Just one day after it said it would restrict attendance at upcoming Division 1 men's and women's basketball tournaments, the NCAA has officially cancelled those events, as well as all of its remaining winter and spring championships.
Tinder delays the international debut of its ‘apocalyptic adventure’ show
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tinder has decided not to launch its Swipe Night show internationally this week. Last fall, when the show debuted in the US, Tinder described it as a "first-person, apocalyptic adventure." That hits a little close to home now, and Tinder has apparently realized that this is no time to be trivializing the apocalypse.
Discord relaxes streaming limits during coronavirus outbreak
In the wake of the coronavirus, streaming platform Discord is temporarily upping the limit on its Go Live service to 50 people at a time. In a blog post, the company said that it recognized that people in areas hit by the virus are using Discord to "keep in touch and stay on track with their everyday lives, from attending classes remotely to working from home," and that it wanted to find a way to help.
Overwatch League cancels all homestand matches through April
Activision Blizzard has cancelled some Overwatch League matches before in response to the coronavirus outbreak, but now it's taking no chances. The league has cancelled all Overwatch League homestand games for March and April. The cancellations won't affect other league events, but there's no question this will be disruptive to the Overwatch esports scene.
